"I was very strategic," Paul told TV Guide of his plans to direct an episode. "After I shadowed directors and sat in the editing room, they finally said, 'OK, let's give it a shot.'" According to the site, the episode will focus on “the Travelers’ occupation of Mystic Falls and troubles in the show’s supernatural purgatory.” Sign us up! We knew the Travelers were about ready to make their move and it sounds like this is the episode they’ll do it in. They’re mysterious quest for power is much like Paul’s own pursuit of directorial efforts, in that way.

According to Paul, his co-stars were very supportive of his directorial debut: "I was expecting some hazing from the cast, but everyone was so supportive." Aww. You can check out TV Guide’s adorable behind-the-scenes shot of Paul with Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy) for a visual of what this looked like. Or, you can peruse the many behind-the-scenes snapshots Paul’s co-stars took of him behind the camera.

And mark your calendars, TVDers! Paul’s episode will air on April 17. Here’s the full synopsis!

Catch the next episode of The Vampire Diaries on Thursday, March 20 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Kayti Burt is a contributing writer for Wetpaint Entertainment with a penchant for all things pop culture. Follow her on Twitter and Google+!